I missed you
by Akely
Summary: Done for a prompt request: "The characters are both invited to a mutual friend's wedding. Bonus points if they didn't know they shared this friend" with Okikagu and bit of Kamusoyo.


**"I miss you"**

* * *

Kagura combed her short red hair. She had to be neat today, even if most of the time she ran here and there looking all but disheveled. Today was different. It was the awaited marriage of Soyo-chan who was also her best friend and so, she was the bridesmaid and of course, it had been an honour for her to accept but at some hours from the event, she still looked horrible. Okay, maybe not, but still!

Why was her hair so unruly? Or rather, Kagura sighed, she should've taken care of them even after cutting them, and all the meaning left behind1. The mirror flashed her reflection, even if some uncooperative locks stood up, in the number of three to be exact, she was fine. The beige dress she was wearing suited her fine, and her make-up had been done by Anego and was nothing close to the clown's one she usually did. Then, her hands trembled upon opening the black box containing her jewels.

There lied a simple necklace but a very precious one inside. Golden chains adorned by shallow heart with a pearl in the middle, it was her favourite even if she didn't wear it since years. _Should I…?_ Her finger traced the accessory slowly, then closed her eyes. Why was she scared of wearing it? It was a gift to her, and hell, it had been years already. She was twenty-five years old now.

"Are you ready Kagura-chan?" The voice of Soyo echoed in the room. Her friend was simply beautiful, no, stunning came closer. Hair put in a refined bun, lips painted red Soyo could rival with the _geishas_ she'd been hearing about on the anime _Kintama_. Kagura smiled.

"The question is, are _you_ ready Soyo-chan? It's your wedding after all. I'm just the maid of honour."

"Oh yes, I very much am. I've been in tow since the morning, dragged to the hairdresser, then make-up artist and afterward, the stylist. It was horrible!" Soyo slouched on the sofa, relishing. She eyed the necklace. "You put it?"

"It's pretty."

"Of course. You look pretty so please catch the bouquet so I'll see you married soon!" She joked. "Or are you still so keen towards celibate life?"

"Damn yes Soyo-chan, I don't need a man!" Kagura swept the locks falling on her eyes, verifying her appearance before leaning and helping Soyo to get up. "Now let's go, your husband is waiting. The poor man's gonna piss in his pants if you are late."

"What a way to talk about him. He _is_ your brother."

"Yes, yes, now let's go." She pushed her friend into the limousine waiting in the street, not before she locked the door. "When Kamui gets anxious he needs to eat food; we need to speed up if you don't want the cake to be half-eaten already."

* * *

Amidst the huddle of very-fancy-people Kagura could finally reach the buffet table where the giant cake was. The wedding had been uneventful or so to speak, perfectly perfect. Soyo arrived in time and Kamui was devouring HER packs of Sukonbu as if it would help his anxiety to disappear, her stomach growled, he could have eaten anything _but_ her snacks.

Abuto was awkward in his costume, as expected although very relieved for his babysitter role to be now ended. (Kagura was sure he'll end up keeping the future baby that would come, one day or another).

At least, Kagura thought while tasting the cake, the food here was of high quality. Nothing like the noodles she heated up every day. She admitted that life had been hard. Living alone, paying rent and everything but most of all, it was so lonely if not for the visits of either her family or friends.

She was currently a doctor and worked full-time at a private office and her boss was fine. To be honest she could take a day or two off but then, she'd be just here, alone in her flat with Sadaharu. So today was supposed to be exciting, Soyo-chan was going to be married! Her brother as her husband thus, even if it was Kamui who took the Tokugawa surname, it still made her best-friend her sister.

Kagura was supposed to be all smiles and grins.

"Excuse me," a voice woke her up, "Can I ask where's bride—" She was about to answer before her whole body froze when she saw who was in front of her.

 _Him_ , from all people It had to be _him._ He was in a black and white smoking, but the gun attached to his sides showed he was on a job. Since when did he go from policeman to bodyguard, anyway?! Or why was he even employed here, at her best friend's wedding? Or did Soyo plan this?

"Soyo-chan is in the back room with Kamui, don't worry if you're here as a bodyguard." Quickly, she turned left and wanted to run away from the man.

But he caught her hand.

"Wait." Okita Sougo compelled her into following him. Both of them didn't want to mess the wedding, much less for personal affairs. They strode through the flock of people, passed hallways until they were outside.

He had his hand scratching his neck while she was still as a board, staring at her feet. Awkward. That was the right word, they've been awkward ever since they broke up. She wondered what the hell Okita wanted to do with her when they avoided each other as much as they could.

"You…Cut your hair."

"I followed the tradition, but we're not here to talk about haircut, do we? I mean it. What do you want? Why are you even here? You are supposed to be a cop, yes."

He was her first serious relationship, and maybe, they could have gotten through marriage and settling down if only…If only they were actually made for each other, however, what was done was done. Kagura didn't want to see his face because it was _painful_. He reminded her of all the good times they had, and also how everything collapsed just so quickly, fights after fights.

"The Tokugawa are a family with enough prestige to be targeted, I was mobilized here. I didn't know the heiress would marry your brother." Kagura didn't understand where he was getting at, even if they had to meet again he could have ignored her for good. "I miss you," he said in an almost whisper.

Kagura broke off the grasp he had on her hand. " _What the hell,_ do you mean by that? It's been nearly two years already and you've never _once_ regretted me going away! So now, you just land in my life again and say that you _miss me_? Don't pull that on me. If you miss me now, you wouldn't have been a coward back then."

Right, Okita Sougo. They fianced in secret after their meeting at the hospital where she worked as an intern, being part of her study and he was the brother of a sick lady she had taken care of. Before and after the death of Hijikata Mitsuba they had a constant contact as she updated him with news and then, shared a certain intimacy that grew on love.

She had loved him, yes. A lot. Hell, she had even moved with him and everything would have been perfect if Okita ever proposed. But he never did.

The relationship was kept, prolonged and when she finally asked him if he was ever interested in her, as in taking her as wife and funding a family, Okita Sougo had said 'no'. Of course, he had explanations, his sister had died with a now widowed husband. He was scared. Add to that, her father wasn't exactly fine with him either and had threatened him many times. She understood.

And she did what was the right in this kind of situation, break up and walk far from his life. It wasn't like he would ever _wait_ for her even if she was ready to _wait for him_. Disappointment morphed to anger and then to pure devastation, she felt fooled for ever believing in their future together. For her, she would have waited for him if he didn't answer with a straight 'no.' It could have been 'Can you wait?' or a 'Yes, but not now', 'I'm not ready yet' even. Words that hinted that there would be a 'one day'.

"Yes," his voice still low he embraced her tightly. "I'm sorry. I lacked of courage. I feared to hurt you further, to disappear and let you alone. I saw me, through Hijikata-san and Aneue. I was an idiot. Because you matter more than my stupid fears and that I didn't notice I wanted to be with you. Forever." His voice grew louder, "And that I wanted to try without thinking of any bad future when there was nothing to fear with you."

She felt like tearing up right now, for him to come and so suddenly—

—Say the words she had always wanted to hear, from him no one else. Months after she became celibate again Kagura had tried to find happiness with someone else, Soyo whom she met shortly after, had set her up a few dates. But somehow the feeling she had with Sougo never surfaced again with any other man.

In the end, she had given up on having the picture of the 'normal' family with a loving husband and kids and had considered adopting a kid too no matter how the procedure was hard for a single woman. It didn't fulfill her wish completely but was better than being alone nonetheless. She longed for Okita, and every time it happened she tried to repress those feelings.

"Why idiot!"

 _Why didn't you tell that me sooner?_

"You're late," she started to cry. Okita was warm, he felt familiar with his stupid soapy scent, and his stupid face and his stupid stupid— voice.

"Hey, if you cry you'll ruin your makeup and looks like a clown," he joked but she heard his voice hesitant, waving, and…Was he crying too?

"They're waterproof, stupid!" She hit him, before crushing his bones with an almost strangling hug. "I missed you too."

* * *

Soyo grinned at her newly-wed husband, peering behind the door as a bride _shouldn't_. Of course, having Okita at the wedding was dangerous but she wasn't a woman to back down at risks. Or else she wouldn't have married the now Tokugawa Kamui, former Yakuza.

And she wanted, more than anything else, for her best friend to be happy.

"Soyo, is that my sister?" The redhead asked. "Who's that guy? Isn't that her ex?" He felt himself burn in anger because god knows the time he'd spent with Soyo comforting her sister— even it was how they've met. His sister had a knack for making such meetings happen.

"Kamui you shouldn't—"

But the hot-blooded husband was already rushing to the couple brandishing his plate of cake as sole weapon.

* * *

1: There's a sort of 'tradition' in Japan in which a female cuts her hair if she broke up with her boyfriend/girlfriend.

 **Done for a prompt request on Tumblr, hope it was a good interpretation of a mature Okikagu?**


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